Tag Archives: Thought

I remember watching a fight, or should I say, an entertainment where ten wrestlers were in the ring slugging it out for the belt and prize-money. After a gradual elimination, two of the wrestlers were left. Now, it was no more elimination but an outright win; either by pin-fall or submission, a winner must emerge!

They fought till they had no more strength to fight, having put in their best, endured the brutality and countering the move of the other to the admiration of the crowd.

Wanting to be creative, one gave a head-butt to the other; something he had never done before. Both men went down as the referee counted.

Something inside the opponent who was given the head-butt refused to stay down on the canvass. He was hearing a voice in his head asking him to stand! But his head pounded painfully and his body felt too heavy for him to lift! Yet, the voice kept urging him to stand!

Faintly, as if from a distance, he started hearing the referee. Gradually he realized where he was and still weak to stand, his eyes blinked open. The arena was dancing around, it seemed, as he turned sideways to see his opponent, also on the floor of the ring.

He felt like staying on the floor like his opponent, but remembering the belt and the prize-money, a surge of adrenaline flowed through him and a new wave of strength came.

His body complained in pain, asking him to remain down. No, he must not hearken to that voice! The prize money, the belt! Straining, he staggered to his feet just as the referee stopped counting. He won the fight.

Ideally, one would say he won the fight in the ring. No! He won the fight in the field of preparation. Prepare in the closet, the Father would reward you in the open.

In the ring, they were equally matched. The other was even more creative, employing a head-butt that he had never done before, daring to knock himself into a coma; both were prepared to win.

However, the difference was in the type of preparation each had. They both prepared body and mind. The creative man prepared more on the body and strength, while the last man standing prepared more on the mind!

“So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.” – 2 Chronicles 27:6 (KJV)

Ordinarily, we would say Jotham became great because he prepared himself. But no! He did not become great just because he prepared himself. How did he prepare himself? With what did he prepare himself and in what kind of preparation did he have?

Did Jotham become great because he prepared himself in the kitchen? Was it as a driver? Or was it as a gossip? No!

There was a type or kind of preparation he had: “before the Lord his God.”

This was a preparation of the mind and heart, which reflects through the body.

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” – 3 John 1:2 (KJV)

Not everyone that prepares become great. Not everyone that goes to school become great in life. Some did not go to school, yet they attained greatness; they stand because they prepared their mind, they worked on their mind!

True greatness is the product of a prepared heart and mind.

You are a product of your mind!

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” – Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

If you think failure, you fail! If you think success, you succeed.

What you programme in your mind is what it will give back to you. Just as a negative destructive thought can destroy the individual, a positive thought can build him.

Encourage and entertain only good and positive thought.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” – Philippians 4:8 (KJV)

Eliminate; uproot from your mind every negative thought as they can only lead to failure and frustration.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” – 2 Corinthians 10:4 (KJV)

The last man standing is not necessarily the strongest, but one that heard a voice in his spirit urging him to stand. Faith hears the voice of the Spirit, for faith comes by hearing.

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:17 (KJV)

The last man standing is one whose mind hears the word of God for it takes a hearing to stand. What you hear in the darkest moment of your life will determine whether you will stand or not. Elijah stood in the harsh, hostile apostate Israel because he heard the word of God. What are you hearing?

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO HEAR BEFORE STANDING.

(1) Hear that you possess the ability to achieve your set objective in life. Why? God said so!

“And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” – Genesis 11:6 (KJV)

(2) Hear that the thought you hold in your mind will attract its kind, and reproduce its kind. Like the soil, the mind will multiply to you what you sow.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” – Galatians 6:7 (KJV)

(3) Hear that the dominating thought in your mind will manifest physically.

“Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.” – Matthew 10:26 (KJV)

(4) Hear that you must not stop striving for excellence, even after you have achieved.

“And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows. And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands. And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them. And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.” – 2 Kings 13:15-19 (KJV)

(5) Hear that your success or achievement remains good when you remain connected and standing on the truth of the word of God. The devil is out to destroy, but the Word upholds and saves when trials come.

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” – James 1:21 (KJV)

“And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” – Luke 12:13-21 (KJV)

A man came to Jesus asking Him to intervene in a wealth-sharing dispute between him and his brother who did not want to share their father’s wealth with him. Jesus answered, telling him He wasn’t made a judge over them. His answer has a two-way application. He wasn’t a judge officially over such matters, but indirectly, He told him that the material life was not the reason or purpose of His coming.

This inspired the teaching against covetousness and the parable of the “rich Fool”, a man society called “rich”; Jesus also acknowledged he was rich, and that means he was rich! Yet, heaven called him a fool. Why?

1)He thought the security of life depended on the earthly acquisition: an abundance of wealth, education, connection, location, etc. Sadly, many hold this view today, even in Church, that the more wealth a man has, the more secure he is. This lie looks so golden, whereas it is deception in its highest form, and the creator of the end time god – mammon.

Jesus warned against the deceitfulness of riches and taught that a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses.

2)He believed the things he got were results of his labour and hard work. Again, this is another sad thing in Christendom. There is a general belief that the harder a person works, the richer he would be. Over the years, the “prosperity message” has hoodwinked many a believer into a frenzy of going to work very early in the morning and coming back late at night “only to eat the bread of sorrow”, forgetting that “the race is not to the swift …”

3) He made plans as though he had power over his life. We often times forget that our lives belong to God and are in His hand, and He can make a demand of the life at any time. Job reminds us that no man has the power to retain the spirit (life) in him. When God calls, we respond. But hear this “rich man” speak as though he had power over tomorrow and can resist the call of God. People think some are being “over righteous” when they add “by the grace of God” to their statement.

4) He built his life on and around things that have no eternal value. Everything changes: nothing in this world is stable or durable. Building one’s hope on a shifting thing is like building without a foundation! How secure are those things after the death of the man? Who will inherit those things?

The frenzy with which man run after these things that the Bible clearly and unequivocally teaches to be “deceitful” is so alarming that it has become a standard of judging who is, and who is not a true believer, forgetting that love of things in the world is enmity with God.

Jesus said anyone who thinks and plans like this way, is regarded by heaven as a fool. (Luke 12:21) Why?

God’s ways differ from ours! The way we see things is not the way heaven see things! (Isaiah 55) What Man calls treasure, heaven calls nonsense! We do not value the things God values!

Clogged heart of Man

Solomon realized this and said on his return to God, “all is vanity” (Ecc. 1:2). Vanity means the quality of being without value; futile, useless, nonsense! That is where Man’s heart is, and God is clearly disappointed in this.

“O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.” – Psalm 4:2 (KJV)

Man’s heart is clogged up with the “weeds” of this world – the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. All these dull the heart, choke the word of God and makes one unfruitful in godliness.

What are we expected to do?

This is a heart situation, because where the treasure of a man is there will his heart be also, and since man cannot fix himself, only God, Who can farm or cultivate the heart can. But He will not; until we willingly come to Him.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” – Romans 12:1-2 (KJV)

We need to come to Him; to present ourselves to Him to weed off “the cares of this world” from our hearts. For this, He calls us, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28 (KJV)

“Come”, He says. Many have not “come”, though they have come to church. However, this is not a Church issue! Many are in church but have not “come” to the Lord. Nevertheless, He knows those that are His. Neither is it a ministry issue. It is not what work you do for Him because on that day He will say to some, “depart from me ye that work iniquity, I know you not”. It’s like saying, “I don’t know you, I don’t remember seeing you; you never came to me!”

The proof of your coming to Him is in how much value you place on what He values! Jesus asked Peter in John 21, if he loved Him more than the fish, representing all we wake early to pursue and come in late to acquire.

How much of His word do we treasure? How have we been handling His word, because this is what shall be used to clean us!

“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” – John 15:3 (KJV) Emphasis mine.

It is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to live in agreement with the Father, loving what He loves and hating what He hates; and He will not live or dwell in a dirty, polluted heart. Using the instrument of the Word, the disciples were cleaned and made ready to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Without the Word spoken to them, they would not have been able to receive the Holy Spirit!

Again, the Bible repeats it.

“That he might sanctify and cleanse it (the Church) with the washing of water by the word.” – Ephesians 5:26 (KJV) Emphasis mine.

In 2 Kings 5, we see the Syrian captain Naaman, instructed by the prophet Elisha to go dip himself seven times in the Jordan River for him to be clean. The number seven, here, represents the mind of God; completeness, nothing to be added or subtracted. The water represents the Word of God. Like Naaman, we should dip ourselves in it to be made whole and clean.

The Life of God is not what we pray to receive as every one child of God has a deposit of God’s Spirit.

“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” – John 14:17-18 (KJV)

This deposit became possible from the day of Pentecost after Jesus shed his blood in death, resurrected and ascended to the Father.

However, the challenge is how to grow His presence in us. This takes a process well described in https://jimout2002a.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/fellowship-2

Furthermore, we need to:

Enrol in School. What school, and where? Not the School that has a geographic location, but a School that is located wherever you are at! Life itself is a school. Wherever you are, the teacher, the Holy Spirit, is there! This is the School of sensitivity – the School of the Spirit! Enrolling in His School means submitting your all to Him, being ready to obey all He asks you to do.

“His mother saith unto the servants, whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” – John 2:5-11 (KJV)

Miracles are borne out of obedience!

Get the book. Every school has its set of books or recommendation of books to acquire. Very serious students get their books and study them! It is disappointing when children are sent to school without books. Not only would they perform poorly, feel inferior when depending on others for books, they would not be able to confirm a sudden flash of illumination or understanding that come periodically to confirm what the teachers have taught; such a student might even fail!

In the School of the Spirit, there is one key book, The Holy Bible, which contain 66 books. The Teacher would not teach outside the syllabus; the Bible is the syllabus used in this School. However, having the Bible would not grow the student, he needs to study it!

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

Approval – growth – can only come after study! Peter adds his voice to this; he calls it desire!

Spiritual growth is a function of study: the study of the word of God. Unfortunately, many are so busy they do not study. They only swallow hook, line and sinker, whatever their pastor says. It should not be so; they are humans too and have weaknesses and limitations. The true Teacher, the Holy Spirit, comes when we are alone, and filled with desire for the knowledge of the Truth. Let us go to Him in study.

Discipline. Every student must be enrolled for a specific subject or discipline. What course is to be studied to develop this Life of God in the believer? QUIETNESS!

This is the only means of minimizing us that He may increase. When we keep quiet, hear him, and carry out what He says, it would no longer be us living but He “working in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” – Philippians 2:13 (KJV)

As simple as this may sound, it is one of the most difficult things to learn and do because of pride and ego! Hear what God says about this.

“For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.” – Isaiah 30:15 (KJV)

“Ye would not!” All because of pride; the self-spirit!

Quietness is a serious subject to study!

“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:11 (KJV)

The devil wants us to be noisy so that we would not hear the Teacher! We cannot hear the teacher if we are busy or noisy. When students come into class and are before their teacher they keep quiet to hear him, if not, he has all the power to discipline them for “noise-making.”

The Bible enjoins us to be quiet when we come into the presence of our teacher.

“Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.” – Isaiah 41:1 (KJV)

The classroom teacher loves quiet and attentive students. In the same way, the Holy Spirit values and treasures observant and quiet students of His. Silence, quietness is an attribute or character trait that is precious in the sight of God.

“But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” – 1 Peter 3:4 (KJV)

Peter not condemning the wearing of ornaments, counsel women to pay greater attention to beautifying the inner man, with two things that are precious and of great price in the sight of God: meekness and a quiet spirit! They are of great worth in the sight of God!

It is in quietness that we hear His voice. He would not compete with the noise of our environment or the clanging noise generated in our hearts. Let’s pull down every other voice, and quietly listen to what He shall say to us in response to the challenges of our everyday life, and the life of the Spirit shall be enthroned.

Sight. In our text Jesus talks of people seeing but not seeing. Most see only with the natural eyes and are not able to see with the eye of the spirit, to “see as God sees”. The Eye of the spirit sees beyond the physical. Jesus did not follow the sighting of His eyes because He followed the Eye of the spirit. (Isaiah 11:3)

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8 (KJV)

Seeing God as Jesus taught here does not mean when one dies; but when one “sees well”, even while still alive, confirming what God said through Isaiah, “… but thine eyes shall see thy teachers.” – Isaiah 30:20 (KJV)

In Jeremiah I: 11-12, God asked the prophet what he saw and when he answered, God told him he had seen well.

The life of God in man can discern the mind of God in any situations; it passes judgment or makes opinion not based on natural events. He sees what others do not see.

Spiritual blindness can be treated when one goes to the Lord.

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” – Revelation 3:18 (KJV)

Sound

“Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.” – Matthew 13:13-14 (KJV)

When Jesus quoted Isaiah, He was not speaking to people who were deaf or had no ears, no. He talked to people who had ears and could hear every word He spoke! Their auditory sense was alive, active and potent. They heard the sounds and syllables that He made, but beyond that they were lost; they could not perceive or understand what He meant!

Hearing is beyond hearing of sounds and syllables. What is the good in hearing someone speak to you when you cannot understand him, which is the essence of communication. Marriages fail, businesses fold up and relationships breakdown because someone heard but did not understand the other.

The Life that God imparts us in Christ has the power to understand not just our everyday conversations and affairs but can discern spiritual sounds and syllables! Like the silent whistles that only dogs can hear, spiritual sounds can only be heard by someone who has this life of God.

“Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. “ – Ephesians 4:18 (KJV)

“They can’t understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness.” – Ephesians 4:18 (GWT)

The Life of God in man has ears deep behind the natural ears; it hears only hear when we are able to peel off the surface sounds and syllables of daily activities.

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, this is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” – Isaiah 30:21 (KJV)

Smell. The nose, with the olfactory sense, can smell emissions in its environment. Many people can smell things afar; their nostrils are sensitive. But if such people lack the spiritual life, the life of God, they can never perceive the mind of God!

“And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually.” – 2 Kings 4:9 (KJV)

The Shunammite woman did not go sniffing the Prophet, rather she smelt the aroma, aura or presence of God on the Man of God; she perceived him.

This nose is deeper than the physical nose.

Touch. The human system is wired with nerves that carry signals to the tactile sense making him able to feel, and sensitive to touch.

However, beyond the natural life is the massive spiritual ability to become suddenly “aware”, to have an intuition of something one may not be able to lay a hand on or explain initially.

“And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.” – Mark 5:30-34 (KJV)

Jesus “immediately knew” something touched him apart from the physical contacts; even the woman knew something was done in her! How did she know, with no doctor to examine her for confirmation? It is the Life of God! No wonder Jesus said to her, “thy faith” has made you whole! The Life of faith is not possible without spiritual senses!

Taste. This is the sensation that results when taste buds from the tongue and throat carry information; it is distinguishing between two or more flavours. Spiritually, this means to participate in, to experience, to be a part of something divine.

“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 16:15-17 (KJV)

Peter did not know when he blurted his answer; nevertheless, it was of God. He partook in something divine; he tasted of the revelation knowledge of God, even before Pentecost.

“I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth such an one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth. How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” – 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 (KJV)

These are experiences beyond the physical; they are things the natural sense cannot comprehend or understand because they are spiritual and belong to the Life of God.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”- 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 (KJV)

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” – John 6:63 (KJV)

Life is in knowing the Word of God. However, knowledge is not life itself. Life can only be accessed through the revelation of knowledge. If you like acquire all the knowledge, if there is no revelation of that knowledge, you do not have the life in the knowledge.

Getting the life in the Word of God takes study.

“Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” – Matthew 13:13-15 (KJV)

Jesus quotes Isaiah, showing the divide between natural life and spiritual life. Each life has its set of senses. The major features of life (spiritual and natural), are the senses. Here Jesus was not talking to dead people, but to people who are alive. However, they operate and live only by the natural senses.

“And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” – 1 Kings 17:1 (KJV)

The two sets of senses are at play here. Elijah spoke from the consciousness of standing in the presence of God, he operated the spiritual senses. Ahab, on the other hand, operating the natural sense, could have looked around hoping to see God.

“But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 3:14 (KJV)

What the natural life has, the spiritual have also. However, many mind the natural life; they dwell on the natural life, either because of ignorance or unbelief. Jacob, while running from his brother came to a place where he saw a ladder reaching heaven; with angels ascending and descending, and said: “God is here and I knew it not.” The activities of his life then was centred on the natural senses.

“And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.” – Genesis 8:21 (KJV)

God declares that man’s thoughts and imagination (where the treasure of a man is….) dwell on the natural (evil). We are not to live or dwell in the natural. Our minds should be more on and revolve around the things of the Spirit, the things of God.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

God is not happy with the direction of man’s mind, hence Paul calls it death.

“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” – Romans 8:6 (KJV)

He counsels:

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” – Colossians 3:1-2 (KJV)

Every meeting must have a place of meeting. Meeting with the King is always held around the throne. Consequently, meeting with God, the King of Creation must be around His Throne.

“And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.” – Revelation 4:6 (KJV)

“In front of the throne was something like a sea of glass as clear as crystal. In the center of the throne and on each side of the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.” – ISV

A transparent and clear place is seen “before” – in front – of God’s Throne!
That is the place of meeting! A place we all, the redeemed or ransomed of the Lord shall eventually be after the rapture; worshipping our God when Jesus would have taken us to the Father as His harvest from the Earth! We, His ministers (flames of fire – Psalm 104:4) will stand on this pure place singing the song of victory, Hallelujah!

“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.” – Revelation 15:2 (KJV)

“Mingled with fire”, the victorious children of God stand here after the rapture!
That is why Jesus said it is not a place on the earth, “neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem”, but in spirit! – John 4:21

It is a place no unclean thing can enter!

“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there.” – Isaiah 35:8-9 (KJV)

Nothing evil, nothing polluted, nothing of darkness can go up there! That is why we need to deal with or clean up the “dross” in our lives. In the Psalms, it is called the hill of the Lord.

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” – Psalm 24:3-4 (KJV)

Only the pure-hearted, clean hands and simple souls, called “fools”, shall go up there; a people without guile in their mouth.

“And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” – Revelation 14:5 (KJV)

That is the true place of worship: the true place of meeting; the place we meet with the Father. Every true Child of God, irrespective of denomination, temporarily goes there, in spirit, during worship! Jesus asked for this and the Father obliged Him.

“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” – John 17:24 (KJV)

This is also how we are seated with Christ in heavenly places, though we are still on earth!

Beloved, how clean are your hands, your heart and how simple is your soul? These are the combination keys that unlock the place of meeting. Let us search ourselves and get rid of whatever pollutes and whatever makes offence if we really desire fellowship with the Father.

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” – James 1:21 (KJV)

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” – John 6:63 (KJV)

Jesus speaking to some of His disciples tells of two kinds of life: the spiritual and the natural.

We often times take being alive for granted. Yes, we have this life and we forget that someday it would leave us no matter how tightly we clutch to it. Many live carelessly and before long this carelessness begins to manifest through ill health.

Another kind of life is available; bigger and better than what is obtainable in the world. It is the real life. It does not come and go neither does it bring health challenges; rather it battles and fixes every natural challenge. However, it does not commit itself easily, and can only be possessed through knowledge; not just any knowledge but a specific kind of knowledge.

Knowledge is only a vehicle in which life travels. Knowledge is not life, but the tube or channel through which life travels. And as said earlier, not all knowledge carries life. We may have scientific knowledge of the workings of the human, but that knowledge does not offer life.

We may have knowledge about the working of the heart, the dynamics of it, yet that does not guarantee life.

We do not apply knowledge to breathe or to keep the organs of the body working. Neither do we exert energy to keep them working and to stay alive.

We live by just believing! Life is a function of faith.

Faith itself is a function of the Word!

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” – Romans 10:17 (KJV)

Life is a precious thing hidden in the Word of God.

“My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” – Proverbs 4:20-22 (KJV)

“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” – Proverbs 25:2 (KJV)

Every kind of wealth is hidden, buried in the earth. To get them man digs. Life is available, but only to them, that search it out. Life in the word is to be dug out. If you do not dig or search deep into the Word, you cannot get it.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” – John 5:39 (KJV)